Last year, some weeks before I started tucking into my steaming slice of Christmas pudding, I was already making my New Year's resolutions. Unlike my previous resolutions, these have actually played a part in my year and probably my future. I pledged a three-pronged strategy for kicking the postdoc habit:

  1. 1

    A 'make-or-break' resolution: from now on, I told myself, if it was not a permanent academic position, I wasn't interested.

  2. 2

    A 'strict' resolution: I would not get side-tracked. I would concentrate on my central interests in science.

  3. 3

    An 'odd-ball' resolution: I would try my hand at some non-academic writing.

At the time, this trio sounded slightly optimistic and a little bit scary, as all good resolutions should.

'Odd-ball' got off to a head start. Even before I'd eaten my Christmas pudding, I spotted the NatureJobs Postdoc Journal competition. This resolution, and a touch of luck, brought this text to you along with a trail of past journal entries. The odd-ball also gave me feedback from serial postdocs from around the world. They told me of their moves out of academia and happy career continuations without having to press the career-reset button. I thank those serial postdocs for defying my preconceived ideas.

True to the 'strict' resolution, I spent my winter evenings reconsidering my research interests. My postdoc in Lausanne had given me new collaborations, introduced me to new ideas, and shown me new ways of working. I needed to take stock. That's the nature of good postdocs, I think. At the start you're attracted by the scent of one project or one research group. But you leave captivated by the aromas of a whole department.

Still, my day-to-day activity remained unchanged. I had a student writing up his MSc thesis and looking to publish, I had several research projects within my department and active collaborations farther afield. Realistically, this strict resolution has turned out to be a long-term exercise and my musings on new collaborations are actually more relevant now that I have a permanent position.

Did I take 'make-or-break' seriously? Yes and no. I failed to do so with respect to my publications. I had excessively optimistic expectations for my submissions, and some time-consuming rejections. My papers remained marked 'in submission' on CV footnotes. And then there were those interesting postdoc opportunities, tempting me to repeal my make-or-break resolution. But I didn't succumb, and by the start of May I had applied for six permanent positions in the United Kingdom and Ireland. Despite the encouraging feedback I had received about non-academic careers, I decided to stay firmly within academia.

So I have changed jobs and countries (again). But I have replaced a postdoc with a permanent academic position. And instead of packing for weekend EasyJet flights, my partner is unpacking her books in our Dublin flat. Christmas has come early! And those papers in the footnote of my CV are finally in the press. Perhaps most surprisingly, this whole process has vastly clarified my career ambitions compared with one year ago. I am excited about new collaborations related to my existing interests (the strict resolution still at work). And I'm also excited by the prospect of writing and teaching a course on ecological modelling.

During my postdocs I have discovered new research topics, new approaches, friends, languages ... Now I'm discovering a stable salary. It feels great! I'm also discovering new uncertainties. Will my desired research attract sufficient funding? Will it attract students? Will my partner like Dublin and find a job? And what about the odd-ball resolution? It has been great fun to write this journal over the past year, but will I find time to continue some form of writing alongside my new responsibilities? Should I find the time? Pass the Christmas pudding.